


A Little Advice

by iStiz



Series: The Next Generation at Hogwarts [4]
Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Aromantic Charlie Weasley, Asexual Charlie Weasley, Bisexual Harry Potter, Canonical Character Death, F/F, F/M, Gay Draco Malfoy, Harry Potter Next Generation, Hogwarts, Implied/Referenced Character Death, LGBTQ Character, LGBTQ Themes, M/M, Other, Pansexual Character, Pride, it's Cedric
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-06-08
Updated: 2017-06-08
Packaged: 2018-11-10 15:44:57
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,434
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11129853
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/iStiz/pseuds/iStiz
Summary: Teddy asks Harry about fancying blokes.It's Pride month and this story happened while I was in the middle of writing another one. It's short and sappy and everything I wish everyone had from their loved ones.





	A Little Advice

**Author's Note:**

> Takes place in 2012, so Teddy is 14. I placed it before the 'Magical Tattoos' story in the timeline.

Harry is marking essays in his sitting room when he hears a timid knock on the door. Draco is at the Chess Club meeting so he’s in charge of Hufflepuff for the evening. He gets up and answers the door fully expecting to find a first year with a less-than-important question. What he doesn’t expect is to find Teddy standing there looking uncharacteristically bashful.

“Do you have a spare minute to talk?” Teddy asks without looking up from his feet.

“Of course,” Harry replies without hesitation as he opens the door wider. He doesn’t know whether to be more worried about Teddy’s body language or his actual body. Usually the boy can be seen sporting neon hair or constantly changing facial features, but now he’s his natural self and it’s startling. “Do you want a cuppa?”

Teddy shakes his head before shuffling over to the sofa. He pulls his legs up and wraps his arms around them as soon as his bottom hits the cushion. Harry puts the stopper into his ink pot and sets aside the essays, trying to keep an eye on his nephew the whole time. When everything is cleaned up he finally joins him on the comfortable furniture.

“Are you going to talk or do you just want me to start guessing?” Harry asks after a minute or two of silence.

Teddy sighs loudly but eventually picks up his head and looks at Harry. “It’s kind of a personal question.”

“You know you can talk to me about anything, and since you showed up here I suppose you already know that. We can keep it just between us and it won’t make me love you any less. So, whatever is weighing on your mind- personal or not- just get it over with and ask me.”

Teddy worries his bottom lip between his teeth, looks quickly up at Harry, and decides on which question to lead with. “When did you know you loved Draco?”

“Ahh, well…Draco’s first year teaching here we were having trouble figuring out how to be friends. We definitely weren’t enemies anymore but it was still strange. We were starting to get closer and I invited him to Grimmauld Place for one of the weekends when you were with me. Do you remember going to the Eye in London?”

“That was a _looong_ time ago,” Teddy says with wide eyes.

Harry can’t help but laugh. “It does seem like another lifetime. But anyway, that weekend was near perfect. I loved the way he was when he was with you. An elderly woman on the Eye said we made a beautiful family and it was the first time I realized that I could have a real future with him. Draco and I talked about it later and decided to deepen our relationship.”

“That’s super sappy. And a little gross.”

“You asked!”

“That’s fair,” Teddy agrees with an eye roll before getting serious again. “Can I ask another question?”

Harry nods encouragingly.

“When did you first realize…that you…liked blokes?”

“Oh,” Harry says with a blank face.

“You don’t have to answer! If it’s too much then I understand.”

“No, no. It’s alright. Let me just get myself something to drink first.” Harry walks into the kitchenette for a glass but truth be told he’s not actually thirsty. He is just looking for an excuse to buy himself some time. He conjures water and decides to fill a second glass for Teddy. He hands off the cup of water before taking his own seat once more.

He clears his throat. “You know I used to date Ginny, right?” Teddy nods. “We tried so hard to make our relationship work but we’re just much better off as friends than anything else. And before her I fancied this girl named Cho Chang. She was beautiful but she wasn’t interested in me; she was interested in a boy named Cedric Diggory.”

Teddy squints his eyes. “Are we getting to the part where you’re gay?”

“I’m not gay.”

“You’re bonded to another man!”

Harry sighs and pinches the bridge of his nose. “I’m bi, thank you very much, but I’m getting to that part if you would be patient and let me finish.”

“By all means,” Teddy says and gives a sarcastic wave of his hand.

“As I was saying…I thought I was in love with Cho but the more time I spent with him I realized I was really in love with Cedric. My daydreams shifted from long dark hair and feminine curves to broad shoulders and a sandy-brown crew cut. When I found out that Cho was going to the Yule Ball with Cedric, I played off my strange new feelings by saying I was jealous of him. I know now that my friends don’t care about the gender of who I love but things were different back then. Or at least that’s what I convinced myself of.”

“Did the two of you ever… _do_ anything?”

Harry blushes. “We kissed. Well, that’s probably a gross overstatement of what happened. I basically jumped him in the Prefects’ bathroom one night. He was nice enough about it, let me down easy and promised not to tell anyone, but it was pretty embarrassing. Cedric spent the whole night talking to me and by the time the sun rose the next morning I knew I was bisexual.”

“How long did it take you to get over your crush?”

“A long time. Cedric-” Harry’s voice catches and he rubs a hand down his face. “Cedric died at the end of the Tri-Wizard Tournament. Voldemort killed him in front of me. I was tortured by that memory for a long time. If I’m being honest, I still have the occasional nightmare of losing him but Draco helps me through them now.”

Teddy quietly watches his uncle as he pours his heart out about his past. Ron and George had told him stories about Harry in the Tri-Wizard Tournament, but he never knew that Harry had been that close to the other Hogwarts Champion. And to watch him die? He shudders at the very thought. Teddy sets his water down and lays a hand on Harry’s shoulder. “Thank you for telling me. I imagine it can’t be easy to bring up these memories.”

“Anything for you, little wolf. It’s my turn to ask a personal question now, though: Why the questions about my romantic and sexual preferences?”

He folds in on himself once again, refusing to make eye contact. Harry urges him on, reminding Teddy that anything he says will be kept confidential.

“I…I think…I think I like Will Johnson. He’s a Ravenclaw and we have Arithmancy together.”

Harry watches as Teddy fights to keep the pink stain off of his cheeks but no amount of Metamorphmagus abilities can help him now. “I know Will. He’s a good kid.”

“Haaaaarrry!” Teddy whines. “I just don’t know if I’m into blokes or if it’s just him or if the full moon has anything to do with it. I feel so confused!”

“Trust me, you’re allowed to feel that way. And you don’t have to decide what you are right now- or ever, for that matter! I’m glad you came to me, but if you want some other points of view I can get you in contact with other people you can trust.”

“Like who?”

“Well, I consider myself bi but Draco is gay. Charlie is aromantic and asexual- which are two very different things, and I know he’d be more than happy to explain the differences. Luna says she labels herself pansexual because she isn’t attracted to the physical forms of any one specific gender, but rather to any person based on who they are on the inside. Seamus struggled with his feelings for Dean for a long time and I still don't think he's "into blokes" he just loves Dean. My old classmate Terry Boot is a healer who works with transgender wizards and witches. And Firenze may be a centaur but he has come in and talked to students before about being agender.”

“Uhhh…” Teddy can only stare at Harry, overwhelmed.

Harry chuckles warmly. “I know that’s a lot to take in, especially considering you don’t even know how you feel yet, I just want you to know that no matter what you are you’re not alone. There are plenty of magical and non-magical folks that are sharing a similar story.”

Teddy’s arms are wrapped around Harry’s shoulders before he can stop himself. “Thank you, Harry. I know not everyone is so lucky.”


End file.
